adminBulawayo Bureau
BOTSWANA immigration officials have reportedly deported a 96-year-old man believed to be Zimbabwean who has lived in that country for 70 years. The decision by the Botswana government is believed to be politically-motivated as it comes just days after Zanu-PF resoundingly won the harmonised elections. Botswana is reported to have embarked on an operation to flush out Zimbabwean immigrants in protest against the outcome of the harmonised elections. Botswana is the only country in southern Africa to have sided with MDC-T in disputing the election outcome.
According to Mmegi, Botswana’s biggest newspaper, there was drama at Selibi-Phikwe government hospital when immigration officials dragged the 96-year-old Mr Alfred Khumalo from his hospital bed for deportation.
The paper reported that the frail man tried in vain to resist the merciless officials. “He tried to explain his situation to the officials but they were determined to repatriate him back to his home country,” reads part of the story.
The publication makes reference to one of the residents of Selebi-Phikwe who was present when the senior “illegal immigrant” was being dragged from his bed, Mr Tumalano Keothokile who told Mmegi that Mr Khumalo came to Botswana in 1943 and settled in Sebina village.
He (Mr Keothokile) said Mr Khumalo also moved to Matenge village and subsequently relocated to Selebi-Phikwe. He explained that he met Mr Khumalo in 1990 and that all these years he has been treating him as he would his own father.
Mr Khumalo is believed to have been born in 1917 to a missionary father and his mother is believed to be originally from Kwa-Zulu Natal Province in South Africa.
Online Reporter